OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – The tax “reform” bill just passed by the House and Senate spells disaster for Americans of color and all working families, The Greenlining Institute said today. The bill gives huge, permanent tax cuts to corporations and wealthy individuals but only modest and temporary relief to working families, while setting the stage for the destruction of the Affordable Care Act and cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and other programs essential to working Americans.

Greenlining Institute President Orson Aguilar made the following statement:

“There’s a reason this bill has been called the #GOPTaxScam on social media. It pretends to be a tax cut, but most working families will eventually see their taxes go up. Worse, it selectively targets Americans of color, who already sit on the losing end of a racial wealth gap that this bill will make worse.

“For decades, African Americans, Asian Americans and Latinos have disproportionately lacked health insurance, but the Affordable Care Act went a long way toward closing that gap. By sabotaging Obamacare, this fake reform puts the health and economic survival of millions of Americans of color at risk. By exploding the deficit, this tax scam sets the stage for devastating cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and other programs upon which tens of millions depend.

“I said earlier this year that the president and Congress had declared war on Americans of color. This tax bill shows that was no exaggeration.”